Man Not A ‘Christian Pastor’—He’s A Pastor Who Happens To Be Christian

MESA, AZ—If you meet Philip Torres, you might be tempted to think of him as a “Christian pastor.” But as Torres told reporters Friday, he is actually not a Christian pastor at all—he is a pastor who happens to be Christian.

“People like to stick labels on me. They like to think of me as a ‘Christian pastor’ because it helps them fit me nicely inside a box of preconceived notions,” he declared. “I’m a Christian, yes. I’m a pastor, yes. But don’t box me in by calling me a ‘Christian pastor.'”

Stressing that he hates having to deal with all the baggage that comes from being branded a “Christian pastor,” Torres expressed confusion at why so many people want to hem him in and limit his identity.

When pressed to consider that maybe the source of confusion is that fact that he leads a Christian church, he scoffed and corrected the reporter. “No no, we’re not a Christian church—we’re a church that happens to be Christian.”